Cats Laughing
by TormentingAllLemmings
Summary: AU. Trowa and Kina are old partners in crime, and now work undercover for the government. Can they handle their latest mission, or will pressure rise as new people come into their scheme? TrowaOC ON HIATUS
1. I

Summery: This is an AU of the Gundam Wing characters, so be warned! Kina and Trowa belong to the government now, and are undercover to destroy the mafia who runs a small town. A specialized team, hired by the mafia to stop any intereference, steps in. To complicate matters, Trowa seems to be taking his status a bit too seriously, and one of the members of the enemy seems to have a rather "personal" interest in Kina. To top it off...well, things keep getting worse and worse.

Warning: Language, sometimes explicit but not often; suggestive themes; sexual themes later on.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or characters. I do own any OCs and the plot. And trust me - I WILL NOT sterotype, though it may seem like I am now.

Please review if you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism is welcome. No flames.

* * *

"Looks likes rain," Trowa remarked, his brown hair hanging in his dark-green eyes. "I hope it holds off till the trip's over." He folded his arms behind his head lazily, and the gold wedding band on his hand caught the light.

"I'm glad he picked me for this," Kina Reeves glanced at the young man sitting beside her in the charter bus. "I needed the exercise."

"Yeah, you're getting lazy," the twenty-three year old teased his fellow traveler, and she promptly elbowed him sharply in the ribs. "Ow!"

"Remember – we're a couple!" she hissed through a pasted-on smile for the public's benefit, while her blue-gray eyes flashed at him. "So stop picking on me!"

"You just can't take a joke," he grumbled, and the young woman the same age smiled brightly at him. Her hair was the color of copper wire, and hung straight just past her shoulders.

"Of course I can," she replied. "Just not from you, that's all."

* * *

"I was expecting it to be bigger," Kina thought, gazing at the building. She exchanged glances at Trowa, who merely shrugged.

"Well, although it's only five stories, our hotel has overeight hundred and fiftyrooms," the doorman told them.

"Looks like they're getting ready for a party," Trowa commented, as they watched the hotel workers bustle around them.

"Quite astute, young man," an older gentleman with white hair approached them. "Have you been here before?"

"No, neither of us. I'm…" Trowa quickly glanced at Kina, who shook her head slightly.

"Excuse us, but we want to get a lot of sight-seeing in, and my husband takes forever to unpack," she flashed a smile, and picked up her suitcases. "I'm sure we'll have an opportunity to talk later."

"Of course," the elder man inclined his head slightly, and his sharp eyes followed them as they entered the hotel.

* * *

As the two agents unpacked in their room – with two double-beds – Trowa glanced at the young woman across the room. "You didn't like that old guy back there, did you?"

"Well, Boss did tell us we may be followed," Kina glanced around, her hair in a braid, "He just didn't feel right to me."

"Well, one of your talents _is_ being able to see someone's aura," Trowa admitted, taking her arm. "Come on – the manager sent out a notice telling everyone that public dining is going to be held earlier, in order to accommodate that party."

"That's another thing – what is this hotel out in the middle of nowhere holding such a huge party?" she wondered, locking their door. "Especially with those prominent military figureheads as well…obviously there's more to this town than meets the eye."

"We're here to figure that out, remember?" he grinned, and took her arm. "Let's go – I'm hungry anyway."

"You're always hungry," she commented with a teasing poke.

* * *

Throughout their meal, the two agents surveyed the rest of the crowd, and kept a close eye on the comings and goings of both the staff and guests, taking a particular interest in the old man from earlier.

"Mind if I join you?" a young man around their age with medium-blue eyes and brown hair in a long braid grinned, appearing next to them as they finished their dinner. Kina and Trowa exchanged glances, and he shrugged slightly.

"Sure," she nodded, and moved over towards as the stranger pulled a chair over, earning dirty looks from several staff members.

"I'm Duo Maxwell," he introduced himself, slouching in the chair. "And you guys?"

"I'm Kina, and this is Trowa Barton – my husband," she added quickly, still unused to their new status for the mission.

"Nice to meet you," Duo nodded. "Honeymoon?"

"Not really," Trowa shook his head, eyeing the newcomer. "What are you doing here? Traveling?"

"In a manner of speaking," he stretched his arms behind his head and leaned back. "I'm road-tripping with a group of friends, that's all."

"Oh," Kina peered at the apparently-innocent young man with double-vision, and then looked away sharply. "Do you know who that man is?"

"Hm? Oh, that old guy?" Duo realized, following her gaze. "Not really. I heard one of the staff call him…Allistar, I think. Why?"

"No reason."

"He's probably one of those lecherous old guys pretty women like you should watch out for," Duo added with a smirk. "By the way he's eyeing you, I'm surprised your husband hasn't taken after him already."

"I hardly think some strange elderly man will jeopardize my position," Trowa replied tersely, and Kina detected a definite dislike between the two.

"Mrs. Barton, Mr. Allistar asked that I give this to you, on his good will," a waiter suddenly approached them, a shot glass in his hand. Kina paused, and glanced briefly at the man. He smirked daringly at her, and she frowned.

"Please give him my regards," she said finally, and took it as the man walked away.

"I don't think you should be drinking that," Trowa muttered under his breath, and she shook her head slightly, gesturing to Duo.

"The best way to find out," she replied, and quickly downed the shot. Duo grinned and watched Trowa as he glared at the old man. Kina looked around, and stood up.

"We should get going, Mr. Maxwell," she said, as Trowa pushed his chair in. Duo stood up as well, shaking his head.

"Just Duo, thanks," he protested, and mockingly bowed to her. "Pleased to meet you, Kina. I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to talk later."

She looked at him momentarily, and then began to stride away as the strange young man disappeared into the crowd, heading outside. Suddenly, her vision tilted.

"Kina?" Trowa frowned as she tripped against the table.

"It's nothing," she shook her head, and straightened up with an obvious effort. He took her elbow tightly, and she leaned against him heavily as they headed out of the dining area, as the staff bustled around them, preparing for the soon-to-be party.

"You look green," he whispered, as they neared the elevator.

"Trowa…I think I'm drugged…" she managed to say. She began to stumble, and her vision blurred.

"All right, let's get upstairs," Trowa supported her, and they waited impatiently as the elevator arrived. The old man, his black eyes glistening, watched from the dining room with a small smile on his face.

* * *

"Ow…Trowa, did I talk?" Kina asked the next morning, after some coffee.

"Nothing, except that you were drugged," he said grimly. "I managed to convince the manager you just had a sensitive stomach, but you were gonna be fine."

Kina rubbed her head with her palm.

"So, _were_ you drugged?" he asked.

"Trowa! You all of people should know I never get drunk – especially when I'm undercover!" Kina said, glaring at him. "Trowa, that guy – Allistar – slipped me something."

"Yeah, I know," he sighed. "He wants us thrown out of here pretty damn fast. I wonder if he works for the mafia running here?"

"Probably. I saw him smirking through the haze," Kina groaned. "I can't believe I was so stupid!"

"Well, Boss isn't too mad – as long as it doesn't happen again," Trowa told her. "We should get some breakfast in you, though. And then we'll go through the paperwork. But don't you think we should start acting more like a couple?"

"How so?" she asked suspiciously, and gasped as he went to kiss her. Shoving him to the floor, she stood up abruptly and began to brush her hair roughly. "What are you trying to do?" she muttered, as he got to his feet. "Want to get us both written up again?"

* * *

"So, what the hell did Boss tell us, anyway?" she asked quietly, once they were back in their room.

"There's a mafia clique here, and they're using this hotel as front for some smuggling. Drugs, munitions, we're not sure," Trowa handed her the papers, "I looked up that old guy, Allistar, and he's not there. Maybe he's not involved?"

"I'm sure he is," Kina muttered, flipping through the papers.

"I also checked out that guy – Duo Maxwell," Trowa continued, and she looked up in surprise. "I couldn't find anything definitive on him, though."

"Talk about suspicious," Kina commented. "Are you just jealous, Trowa?"

"No."

"Is the manager here?" she asked, glancing back at her files.

"No, apparently he's clean – or just being threatened," Trowa said, "Our job's to go and infiltrate this clique, and smoke 'em out of hiding. It would explain why this place is so busy – and popular with such influential people. This town is in the middle of nowhere – it doesn't make sense why the mafia would bother with it."

"Who know," Kina shrugged, and then frowned. "I hate that word. 'Infiltrate' – it sounds like what government rats do. But I guess _we're_ the government rats this time, huh?"

"Yeah," Trowa agreed reluctantly. The two had belonged to a mercenary group called 'Cats' Laughing' – a reference to their symbol, a white panther. They left their signature on whatever job they hit, and the name stuck to them, mocking their victims. One day, their base was blown away, and Trowa and Kina, away on a job, were the only members left. A government facility captured them, and used them as DNA test subjects. After several years, the pair was relocated to a government building, supposedly to aid in security detail. But after a few months, they had been sent out on their latest mission – although a bit rusty.

"So…what first?" Kina asked.

"I'm not sure," he shrugged, "We don't really have any suspects."

"Boss sent us in here blind? I find that hard to believe," Kina remarked, "What about Allistar? Do you wanna check him out, and I'll snoop around the workers and see if I can pick anything up?"

"Sure. I'll meet ya back here before lunch," Trowa said, getting to his feet. "Just watch it, all right?"

"Stop worrying, _dad_," she grinned at him, grabbing a light jacket. "I'm not your little Susie-homemaker, remember?"

"Yeah, I know," he nodded, and sighed as she left him alone in the room. "Although, I have to admit that the prospect isn't that bad," he added under his breath, to make sure she couldn't hear him.

* * *

"What do you think you were doing last night, Duo?" Wufei demanded. The other one blinked in surprise.

"What got a bug up your ass?" he asked calmly. "Can't I fraternize with the enemy a little bit? Especially when it's so hot."

"Stop thinking with your balls," Heero interrupted, and Duo winced.

"Ow, come on!" he protested, and Wufei smirked.

"We've got a job to do, remember?" their team leader reminded them, hardly glancing up from the computer monitor. Hacking into encrypted systems was his speciality, and it came in handy more than once.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But can't I have a little fun while we're here?" Duo complained. "I mean, that couple didn't exactly seem lovey-dovey, if ya know what I mean. I bet I could get her laid within two days."

"I'll risk a twenty saying you can't," Wufei challenged him immediately, always looking for a fight with his cocky teammate.

"And I'll put down fifty saying you don't even get her attention," Quatre added, checking over their weapons. "Sometimes couples are closer than they seem, Duo. You should try remembering that one time."

"Whatever," he shrugged, promptly ignoring the advice of the most peaceful member of their squad. "I'll lay down my salary for this job saying I get her in two days – no more, no less. Nights count."

"Fine with me. You in, Heero?" Wufei asked, glancing over at the twenty-four year old. Older by a year, the Chinese martial-artist disliked being under his command, and took it out on twenty-two year old Quatre and twenty-three year-old Duo, who were technically his subordinates.

"Nah," he shook his head, still ignoring them. "There are better ways to spend my money than betting on Duo's conquests."

"You sure? You could make a lot of money," Duo prodded, but Heero remained silent, once more absorbed into his files. Quatre also resumed his work, and Wufei strode off to the gym for some exercise, leaving the assassin Duo up to his own devices.

* * *

"Oh, excuse me, miss!" a tall blond man wearing a pink shirt and gray slacks apologized, after knocking her over with a baggage cart.

"I'm fine," she assured him as he offered his hand to her. After he pulled her to her feet, it was obvious to her that he was in great distress. "Honestly, I'm okay," she said, trying to be convincing, as he continued to fret.

"Oh, I saw the cart run your foot over – I'm so sorry!" he exclaimed, wringing his hands. "I was so absorbed in my task I didn't realize you were walking past! Are you sure you're not seriously injured?"

"Yes, I'm sure," she nodded, barely suppressing a laugh. "I'm Kina Re-Barton. You?"

"Louis de Neian," he said, shaking her proffered hand. "I'm staying here for a bit. I'm afraid I missed the party, though."

"Party?" she repeated, catching his regretful tone. "You mean, that party with all the military officials last night?"

"Oh, I _knew_ I had missed it!" he cried, his blue eyes widening. "I'm so stupid! I _never_ should have listened to the weather report!"

"You were invited?" she asked curiously, as he sat down in apparent despair.

"Yes, yes!" he nodded tearfully. "It was supposed to be a large affair, with several possible connections for my book here! I'm a writer, you see," he added absently, "And my agent told me that several people here were very important people. He obtained an invitation for me, and I blew it!"

Kina surveyed the distressed man with interest, and then sat down across from him.

"I'm sure they'll understand," she assured him, and he looked at her hopefully.

"Do you really think so?"

"Of course!" she nodded enthusiastically, and stood back up. "You really shouldn't leave your baggage in the middle of the foyer, though."

"Oh, yes!" he jumped up, suddenly energetic, and began to push it away eagerly. "Thank you so much, Mrs. Barton! I hope to talk to you soon!"

"_He's more observant than he looks,"_ she thought, waving back at the man. _"I wonder if all…_that_ is an act? Somehow, I don't think so."_

"Do you have a habit of making friends with hapless gay authors while your husband is looking the other way?" a voice suddenly asked, and she jumped out of her reverie. Turning around, she glared at Duo, who was smirking in self-satisfaction.

"It's none of your business what I do with my time, Mr. Maxwell," she retorted, and began to walk away. He grabbed her arm, and she twisted out of his grip.

"Hey, come on!" he called, jogging after her as she quickly left the foyer, walking out into the misty street. "I was joking! Everyone knows Louis around here – he's constantly trying to sell his book."

"What's it about?" she asked, despite herself.

"I don't think a woman should really know," Duo grinned, but at her glare he shrugged. "Fine, but I didn't tell you." Whispering something in her ear, he took a step back as her eyes widened, and laughed. "I told you."

"I see," she managed, and then looked around. "I have things to do, Mr. Maxwell, so if you'll excuse me…"

"Don't be like that," he protested, and once more took her elbow. "I said call me Duo, remember? I just want to be friends."

"I'd appreciate if you didn't manhandle my wife," Trowa growled, appearing suddenly and gripping Duo's wrist. Kina, who knew her partner's strength, watched as Duo's fingers began to turn white from the pressure, and he released her quickly.

"Yeesh," he shook his hand, trying to get the blood flowing once more, and glanced at Trowa. "Damn, man, that's quite a grip."

"Thanks," Trowa said coolly. Kina sighed, watching the two of them in exasperation.

"_He really _is_ jealous,"_ she realized, seeing the look in Trowa's eyes. _"It figures."_

"I thought we were going to meet at lunch, _dear_," she said through her teeth, breaking the staring contest between the two young men.

"You lost track of the time again," he reminded her, pointing at her watch. "See? I found a good place around here, but I want to get there before it gets crowded."

"I'll see you later, Kina!" Duo called audaciously, waving as Trowa stalked off, Kina following his long strides with practice.

* * *

Well? This is my first AU of Gundam Wing, so I hope it's decent. Please review!


	2. II

Summery; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Some suggestive stuff, but nothing graphic. If you read my profile, you'll see why nothing has been updated for so long, and why I'm able to now. Thanks RedRiver04 for the review - this chapter is for you! Writing mystery/action/romance/whatever is hard - especially with the twists! My brain is getting a real workout, I'll tell you that right now. But it's fun.

Please review if you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism is welcome.

* * *

"So, what did you find out?" Kina asked over a salad. Trowa glanced up from his hamburger at her briefly, and then purposefully took a large bite, chewing slowly. "Are you sulking again?" she realized, and gave him a look. "Trowa, we have to work _together_ – no relationship exists between us, okay? Boss put us together because we know each, so stop acting like a testosterone-teeming teenager and more like a man," she hissed, and he choked on his food with laughter.

"Try saying that last part five times fast," he joked, and then sighed. "I'll just ignore that lecture and get to the good stuff. Gregory Allistar, from what I can _find_ of him, moved over from Britain almost fifty years ago. He's been accused of having connections with various mafia cliques for decades, but nothing can be proved beyond a reasonable doubt."

"So he's smart," she reasoned, spearing a tomato with her fork. "What else?"

"That guy – Louis? – has powerful friends in the police, as well as several business corporations," Trowa continued, and Kina was grateful for his photographic memory. "That…personality may not be an act, but he's not an idiot."

"I figured that out," she interrupted.

"Well, his connections are doing their best to take down the mafia, which apparently has the run of this town – and has for years," Trowa revealed, and she leaned back in her seat thoughtfully.

"Do you think he's here undercover?" she wondered, and he snorted.

"I highly doubt it. I said he has connections," he told her. "It's probably not coincidence that he was invited to that party – I'd say more like bait for them to rear their ugly heads."

"Let's try to avoid any casualties," she frowned, and he nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. So, did you find anything, other than a sexually-challenged writer and a guy that does his thinking with his testosterone?" Trowa asked, and she shook her head.

"Unfortunately not. I got nothing from the staff," she shrugged. "I think most of 'em are clean, to be honest. And if they _do_ know anything, they're damn good actors. Loyalty wins out, though."

"Hm," he muttered, and rubbed his chin with his hand absently. "That's a problem. Without inside information, it could get a lot trickier. I was hoping to keep this clean, but…"

"Let's wait a while for that," she interrupted his train of thought hastily. "Boss told us to take as much time as needed, and to keep it subtle, remember? That's hardly subtle."

"I know," he nodded, and resumed eating. They sat in silence for a while, until Kina smacked her forehead. "What?"

"Louis said his agent got his invitation," she remembered. "We should check that guy out – it should be easy enough to find. Maybe we'll get something from him."

"All right," Trowa agreed, and stood up. "I'll take care of that as soon as we get back to the hotel. Do you have anything planned?"

"Not much," she shook her head regretfully, as they paid the bill at the front desk. "Why?"

"Go check out that Louis guy some more," he suggested, holding the door open for her. Underneath his black jacket, he wore his usual outfit of black boots, blue jeans, and a mint-green T-shirt underneath an unbuttoned pale-blue dress shirt.

"If you think it'll do any good," Kina shrugged, buttoning her dark-brown jacket. Black boots showed from underneath her dark-blue flared jeans, and a pale-red shirt with black three-quarter sleeves was hidden by the jacket.

"Maybe, maybe not," he thought, and then glanced down at her. Even in heels, she barely reached his chin, much to her chagrin. "And stay away from Maxwell, all right? There's something about him I really don't like."

"Could it be the fact he's coming on to me?" she wondered teasingly, and he looked up at the sky in sudden interest.

"Just do it," he ordered, and she blinked in surprise. Nodding reluctantly as they reached the hotel, she sighed as he strode off to the elevator, and headed toward the front desk to find out where Louis was staying.

* * *

"Oh, I'm so glad you came to see me!" he exclaimed, opening his door after she had knocked on it. "I was just unpacking. Please come in!"

"Thanks," she nodded, and entered the hotel room with interest. Although there was no obvious flaunting of his preference, subtle hints lay everywhere, making her slightly uncomfortable. Taking it in stride, Kina took the offered chair as the blond man – in his late twenties, she guessed – took the edge of the bed, and peered at her.

"To be honest, I'm surprised you're here," Louis admitted, and she laughed briefly.

"I can see why," she agreed, "But my husband had to go out for a bit, so I decided to see how you were doing. By the way, how did you know I was married?"

"Besides the ring?" he pointed out, and she blinked – _still_ not used to wearing it. "Well, the way you had to correct your last name, I'm guessing you're recently married. And I saw that the key you handed the clerk for your room was marked with a 'two' – meaning someone else had a copy as well."

"Very observant," she complimented him, and he smiled widely.

"As an author, I try to be," he said modestly, and then grinned. "A lot of people tend to think I'm an idiot, but it only helps my image, supposedly."

Kina remained silent, a little embarrassed that she had also thought the man was an idiot. _"Obviously, first impressions aren't always important,"_ she thought ruefully, and then blinked as he snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Sorry, I zoned out for a sec."

"Oh, that's no problem!" he said cheerfully. "I was just wondering if you'd like to tour the city with me for a bit – I get lonely, you see, and if your husband is going to be out for a bit…"

It only took Kina three seconds to consider, and she nodded, much to his delight.

"I'd love to," she smiled, and surprised herself when she realized the words were sincere. "Isn't the weather a bit…damp, though?"

"Is that a problem?" he asked anxiously, peering at her suddenly. "I could call a cab, or –"

"I was just making sure," she interrupted, waving her hands. "Just let me go get my jacket – I left it in the coat check – and we can go!"

"I'll meet you down there, then," Louis agreed, and began to ready himself after he showed his guest out.

* * *

"That's odd…" she murmured, glancing at her watch. Nearly thirty minutes had gone by, and Louis still hadn't arrived at the front desk. _"It doesn't take me this long to get ready."_

"Is something wrong, Mrs. Barton?" the clerk asked, and she jumped slightly. Turning around, she thought for a moment, and nodded.

"Yes, actually. Could you please page Mr. Neian for me? I was supposed to meet him down here a bit ago."

"Of course," he nodded, and she waited as he turned away to the phone. After several minutes, he returned, and she looked at him expectantly. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Barton, but it appears that Mr. Neian already left a short while ago, according the message he left for the phone service."

"I see," she nodded, and suppressed a shrug. "I guess I misunderstood him, then. Thank you."

* * *

"Something the matter, _Mrs._ Barton?" Duo asked her suddenly, stressing her marital status. Jumping in the seat she was in, she glared up at him as he propped himself on the arm of the chair.

"Get lost," she muttered, returning to the book she had, waiting for Trowa to return. His grin merely widened, and she wondered how she could get rid of him.

"That looks like some heavy stuff," he commented, glancing at the book she was skimming. Slamming it shut, she stood up and grabbed her jacket.

"I have to get going," she said stiffly, but he caught her arm, suddenly appearing serious.

"Hey, sorry if I offended you," he apologized, catching her off-guard. "I didn't mean anything by it. I'm just a nut – ask anyone who knows me. You gonna let me make it up to you sometime?"

"I don't think I like how you worded that," Kina peered at him suspiciously. He blinked for a moment, and then laughed nervously.

"I didn't mean anything by that either," he said with a shrug, shoving his hands into the pockets of his black jeans. Black boots matched his belt, and a black leather jacket was over his gray T-shirt.

"I'll have to think it over," she relented, and he grinned at her.

"Cool. I'm room three-forty, so give me a buzz if ya want," he offered, and then looked around. "Uh-oh – your husband's coming back, so I should probably make myself scarce. See ya!"

Kina felt an odd sense of guilt as the unsuspecting Trowa approached, and smiled to cover her feelings.

"I thought you were going out," he commented, and she glanced around before lowering her voice so he had to lean in to hear her.

"He's gone – supposedly left when I was talking to him," she whispered, and Trowa's eyes narrowed.

"Hm."

"Something's happening soon – if it isn't already," she continued. "I think we should lay low for a while, just in case. I've got a bad feeling."

"All right," he nodded, and straightened abruptly. "We'll keep to the room for the rest of the evening, then. Maybe we can pick something up in the meantime."

Kina followed him to the elevator, but not before noticing Allistar watching them intently from the barroom.

* * *

Trowa woke up abruptly from sleep late that night, and rubbed his eyes briefly before sitting up and looking around. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but as he glanced at Kina in the other bed, he saw that she was tossing restlessly, and murmuring something under her breath.

"Kina," he whispered, sitting on the edge of her bed and placing his hands on her shoulders firmly. "Kina, wake up. You're having another nightmare." At this, he suddenly stopped himself, remembering her other ability. Through DNA testing, Trowa had astounding acrobatic skills no other human could even dream of doing, and his rate of success in missions was one-hundred percent, suggesting that he somehow could alter his luck. Kina, besides her ability to read auras, was able to reach out and pick up on experiences in her dreams, causing some unsettling nights.

Waiting as she continued to dream, Trowa forced himself to turn his thoughts away from her slender body outlined by her sheets, and shook his head firmly. After several more minutes, she stopped moving, and he peered at her in the dark curiously. Seeing tears running down her cheeks as she continued to sleep, he shook her gently, and she woke up with a start.

"Trowa!" she gasped, and then wiped at her face in embarrassment. Wrapping his arm around her shoulder as she sat up, he saw that she was wearing her usual pajamas of black bikini-cut underwear and a white ribbed tank-top.

"Another dream?" he asked quietly, and she nodded.

"I'm not sure who was in it…it took place in this hotel, though. I'm sure of it," she said firmly. "They were torturing someone…it was horrible. I felt everything – vinegar and salt in open wounds, bamboo shoots slid up the skin, fingers being systematically broken, boiling oil poured into his lungs with a cone…he's dead, thank God. It was…"

She broke down in tears, and Trowa held her against his bare chest as she cried – something which was rare.

"_It must have been bad,"_ he thought reflectively, and rubbed her back until she calmed down.

"I can't believe I did that," she laughed nervously, drying her eyes. "I've seen worse…it was just…I don't know. I'm going to go wash my face."

As she padded to the bathroom, she felt Trowa's eyes on her, and she flushed as she shut herself in the small tiled room. She splashed cold water on her face, and rubbed her face vigorously with a towel as she reflected on her rather-complicated relationship with Trowa.

In their mercenary group, they had only worked together a few times, and hadn't really known each other until they were the last ones left, and forced to live together during the years of DNA testing. They had grown close, and Kina thought of him as a good friend, but never really had romantic intentions toward him. Almost a year ago though, on a particularly stressful mission, they had broken their unspoken and self-imposed ban, and spent the night together.

She turned red just thinking about it, and shook her head to rid her mind of the memories. After that, Trowa had begun to act more protective than usual, and Kina – who had been used to their platonic relationship, where she could wear clothes like her previous ones comfortably, for instance – had grown exasperated with her partner. Due to tension, Boss had separated them after that.

Until this mission, that was.

Kina sighed and resisted the urge to wrap a towel to cover herself, and strode back into the bedroom. Trowa had returned to his own bed, but watched her as she slid underneath her covers, and rolled over so her back faced him.

"What?" she asked finally, feeling his gaze still on her. He didn't say anything, but she heard the springs shift as he moved, and almost jumped in surprise when she felt him get into the bed, pressing his chest against her back.

"Just in case," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to him. Suppressing a sigh, Kina ignored the part of her brain that enjoyed the physical contact with him, and forced herself to fall into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Three days had passed, and Kina's fears were brought to life when no sign of Louis surfaced during that time.

"You don't think he was the one, do you?" Trowa asked quietly, as they sat in the room reviewing files. She glanced up briefly, and then shook her head slowly.

"I don't know," she admitted, and tossed the file onto the table in frustration. "This isn't helping! I hate just sitting around here!"

Trowa regarded her silently for a moment, and then returned to his files when she glanced at him.

"What?" she asked. When he didn't say anything, she huffed and stalked over to retrieve her papers. Sitting back down, they continued to review for a few more moments in silence, until a scream pierced the air.

"What on earth?" Trowa began, as they rushed to the door. Running out into the hallway, they saw a maid standing in the doorway, shaking visibly.

"What's the matter?" Kina demanded, taking her arm. Glancing in the direction the woman was staring, Kina suppressed a gag when she saw what had caused the scream. A woman's body lay on the rug, surrounded by a pool of blood. Her head appeared to have been hacked open, and pieces of brain and flesh spattered the walls and floor.

"Damn it," Trowa growled, grabbing Kina's arm. A crowd of people had formed in a matter of minutes, and many had begun to panic. Most rushed to the elevator, and Trowa pulled Kina in after them.

"Trowa?" she called, as he lost his grip on her arm. Looking around, she became caught in the mass of people, and someone started the elevator before she could get back out. They began to move down, and it suddenly jolted to a stop.

"We're all going to die!" a woman moaned, and Kina's mind raced. Shoving her way to the control panel, she pulled out a small electronic hacking device both agents carried, and managed to jumpstart it. The people fell as it quickly began to move downward, and became stuck once more. Luckily, it was near the door, and several men forced it open.

"Oh my god!" another woman shrieked, climbing out. Kina quickly scrambled up, and turned pale when she saw what lay in front of them.

"_What happened?"_ she wondered, looking around. Bodies of both staff and guests littered the floor, but blood was nowhere to be seen. Quickly glancing around for her partner, Kina picked her way through the bodies and managed to reach the door – and promptly ran into Duo.

"You!" he realized, and grabbed her arm. "Come on, let's get out of here."

She nodded in agreement, and allowed herself to be pulled outside, and breathed in the fresh cold air deeply.

"You okay?" he asked, glancing at her. She peered at him, and then nodded once more.

"Yeah," she managed, and moved aside as people poured out of the building. "What the hell happened in there?"

"I wish I knew," he grumbled, and she narrowed her eyes at the tone of his voice.

* * *

"Get the fuck off me, bastard!" Trowa growled, fighting back his captors.

"Sorry," a light-blond young man shrugged, as another man with brown hair led them through the basement. "Can't let a government spy get out here alive."

"Did Duo get the chick?" the black-haired one holding Trowa grunted, and the speaker nodded.

"Yeah, he should've," he agreed, and then glanced at Trowa. "Maybe you should knock him out – it'd be easier at this point, wouldn't it?"

"Probably," the captor nodded, and the leader turned. The last thing Trowa saw was a fist coming toward him, before blackness overcame him.

* * *

Whee! Action - excitement - mystery! Please review if you read! 


	3. III

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Finally - another chapter out for yet another long-forgotten fic. I recently had a brainstorm, so thank all the chocolate I had in my system at the time for this chapter. And the next...oh well. I hope you who've read and liked this continue to read and not lose hope for me!

Please review. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

"You were very lucky, miss," a maid informed Kina, as the young woman prepared for bed. "So many people died from a gas leak in the sewers. Will that be all?"

"Yes," Kina nodded absently, and waited for the woman to leave until she sat down. "A gas leak…?" she murmured, and suppressed a laugh. She knew many ways of killing someone, and the marks on the bodies weren't from a gas death.

Standing up, she began to pace the room, her hands clasped behind her back. Her mind racing, she tried to imagine what could have happened. Duo had again disappeared once she had managed to find a room in a nearby city in a run-down hotel, and Trowa still hadn't shown up.

"He's not dead…" she pushed the thought of her mind quickly, and flopped onto the bed in exasperation. "I can't think clearly," she chided herself, and pulled the covers over herself. "I'll wait until morning. I'm sure things will be easier then."

* * *

"Raining," she saw dismally, pulling on her silver-blue shirt, and slipped into her black boots, zippering her gray jeans. Digging around the things she had bought – luckily, as an agent she always had money on her person – she found a dark-green raincoat, and shrugged into it.

Glancing out the window one last time, she slipped on dark sunglasses before striding out of her room, prepared to do what it took to find her partner again.

* * *

"Some base," Trowa commented dryly, waking up to find his hands tied behind him, his ankles bound to the chair legs. Looking around, he smirked at the dismal surroundings, earning a glare from Wufei.

"Sarcasm won't get you very far," Heero commented casually, approaching. "Just thought you'd like to know."

"I doubt anything will."

"Good man," he nodded approvingly, and then gestured to Quatre.

"Where'd Duo go?"

"Who? Oh, him? I have no idea."

"Really," Heero stated, and stared at Trowa. "That's surprising – considering you're the enemy."

"You guys are working for the mafia?" he asked in disbelief, and suddenly the pieces fit. "I see – you're mercenaries."

"Yes," Quatre nodded, and then gestured to the others. "I'm Quatre, and this is Heero and Wufei. Since we're going to kill you before you leave, I suppose it doesn't matter if you know our names or not."

"You may as well tell me what the hell killed those people," Trowa prodded. They remained silent for a few moments, appearing to converse among themselves. Heero, apparently the leader, finally nodded briefly, and Quatre turned back to Trowa.

"It was a memory-suppressant drug that the mafia was experimenting with," he said. "The people who were…dead were specially-picked for their backgrounds. No one would have missed them if their memory suddenly disappeared. Unfortunately, you can see that there are a few…problems to work out. It suppresses memories, but the mafia doesn't want it to kill everyone. The toxin also became airborne."

"So, that accounts for the people who've fallen ill, even in this city," Trowa realized, having heard the news that a surprising number of people had mysteriously fallen ill, causing a panic of an epidemic. "Those people were just guinea pigs?" Trowa gritted his teeth and glared at his captors. "And that old man – Gregory Allistar? Was he working for you?"

"_Us_?" Wufei repeated in disbelief, and laughed shortly. "No – he was working separately for the mafia to dispose of you two. Obviously, he grew too old for his job, so we stepped in there as well."

Trowa remained silent as Heero stepped forward, and it was apparent they weren't going to answer any more questions.

"We'll use more truth serum in the morning," he decided, checking his watch. "It wore off anyway – he slept too long. Wufei, you get first guard."

"Sure," he nodded sharply, and took a chair across from Trowa as the two other young men left the room. Trowa, seeing Wufei close his eyes slightly, was left to his thoughts and began to form a plan.

* * *

Thanks to his ability to turn luck in his favor, Trowa managed to work the bonds on his hands loose after several hours. Though still tied, they were loose enough for him to move his hands around to get the feeling back into them, and he began to squirm his ankles around as well.

"What are you doing?" Wufei noticed Trowa's movements almost an hour, since the spy had moved subtly, and jumped to his feet. Trowa whipped his hands out from behind his back, and a swift kick outward freed his legs. Facing off the martial-artist, Trowa felt his muscles tense.

"I don't really want to kill you, you know," he warned Wufei, who merely snorted. Trowa narrowed his eyes and prepared for the attack he was sure was coming. Sure enough, Wufei leapt at him, legs outstretched for a blow to the chest. Trowa ducked and came up behind the Chinese young man. Wufei spun around with a counterattack, but Trowa was prepared, and a kick to Wufei's throat dropped him to the floor instantly.

Trowa checked his pulse, and shook his head.

"Dead – throat collapsed in on itself with that kick," he murmured, and straightened, feeling no remorse for what had to be done. Looking around, he saw no weapons, but didn't mind that much. Moving toward the door, Trowa rushed out, surprised when no alarms went off.

* * *

Kina had barely made it into the city, with its tall buildings shooting into the sky, when she realized someone was definitely following her. Glancing back slightly, her breath caught when she saw Gregory Allistar, and her eyes narrowed.

"All right then…" she muttered, and quickened her pace. He easily matched it, and she continued her quick strides for a few more blocks before beginning to jog. Seeing that the apparently-old man still wasn't slowing down, she broke into a sprint, praying her boots didn't slip in the pouring rain.

Skidding into a car as she turned a corner, she saw him catching up, and rushed across the street. Finding herself in-between cars, she began to step back onto the sidewalk when Allistar suddenly stopped, and she heard a faint boom. Spinning around, she saw a car a block down explode into flames – setting off a chain reaction. Barely noticing a taller man that was standing calmly amid the panic, she swore and rushed to get out of the way as the cars quickly continued the chain, heading right towards her. Gasping for air, she raced down the street, and managed to outdistance the cars enough to rush into a nearby building. Looking around with a trained eye, she realized it had been turned into a makeshift hospital to counter the sudden onslaught of illness, which no one knew what had caused it.

"Are you all right, miss?" a nurse asked in concern, and Kina flipped her dripping hair out of her eyes just as the car outside exploded. The window shattered, and several shelves stocked with medicine fell, catching fire.

"Damn it!" Kina swore, and shoved the nurse away just as the drugs proved that they were indeed flammable. The flames spread easily, and the building was threatening to be engulfed the flames. Overcome by the sudden heavy smoke, Kina began to choke. Affected by the drugs' toxic release in the air, the room began to spin in front of her – and she blinked suddenly, seeing a young man in front of her.

"Come on, Kina," he said roughly, and heaved her up in his arms. Passing out despite efforts to stay awake, she went limp, and he rushed out of the building as firefighters appeared on the scene.

Jogging down an alley, he continued further into the city, until he reached a deserted street. Looking around, he grinned when a helicopter arrived, its blades whirring.

"Took you guys long enough," he commented, and then froze when a tall man with dark-blond hair and pale-blue eyes appeared at the door, his face stoic.

"Duo Maxwell, you're being taken into our captivity until further notice," the twenty-eight year-old man informed him calmly, taking Kina from his arms. The assassin stood in shock as he was handcuffed and shoved onboard.

"Treize…?" she murmured, the helicopter's whirr bringing her awake slightly. He glanced down at her, and nodded.

"We're going to headquarters to explain this mess to Boss," he told her shortly, and she nodded weakly. Securing himself in a seat, he nodded sharply to the driver, who gave him a thumbs up and started it up again. Duo muttered something to himself, to the extent of how stupid he was.

* * *

"This is probably Treize's work," Trowa muttered, seeing the destruction. "It's certainly his MO. Damn bastard…couldn't even leave it alone for another day."

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he stalked off, his quick mind forming a backup plan – especially one on how to get back to their headquarters, which was only accesible by helicopter or a special airship that Boss had designed. Even those who worked there weren't sure where on the globe the base could be found - they only knew where it was through instinct, somehow.

* * *

"Are you feeling all right?" Treize asked calmly, seeing Kina's eyes flutter. "Those drugs did a number on you, but the doctor fixed you right up. Boss has been waiting for you to wake up."

"I'm glad everyone was so concerned," she muttered, sitting up stiffly. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she saw gratefully that she was still fully dressed. Seeing Treize's small smirk, she glared at the double-agent. "What?"

"No need for sarcasm, Kina," he chided her gently, standing up. Shiny black shoes were under white trousers, with a matching jacket over a dark-blue dress shirt without a tie. "Allistar was caught in the blast, luckily. Of course, that was my intent anyway."

"You couldn't have done it sooner?" she asked, rolling her shoulders. The young man shrugged gracefully, and then helped her to her feet.

"The young man named Duo Maxwell is in custody."

"What?" she blinked in surprise. "I can't believe he was that stupid to let himself be fooled…Where's Trowa?" Seeing Treize's pause, she narrowed her eyes and took a step forward. "Where is he, Treize?"

"Calm yourself, Kina," another man's voice said gently, and they both snapped to attention as Boss walked in. "No need for that – be seated, both of you. Trowa was captured by Maxwell's partners, Kina, but he has no doubt escaped by now."

"Sorry," she mumbled, barely glancing Zechs Marquis in the eye. The young man, in his late twenties, was the leader of the government agency in charge of covert operations and reconnaissance, and the three agents were all under his control.

"Apology accepted," he inclined his head slightly, and sat down as well. He wore black shoes underneath dark-gray slacks, and a matching jacket was over a crimson-red shirt with a loose white tie. "I've read the files you and Trowa sent me over the past few days, and it seems our suspicions were indeed correct. Relina is decoding several messages sent out of the hotel by certain suspicious parties now, as is Noin."

"What about Trowa?" Kina pressed.

"I've sent Une to bring him back, don't worry," Treize spoke up, referring to his subordinate Une Mikataci. "She'll find him soon enough."

"Duo Maxwell is currently incarcerated in Level-Five security in the base, don't worry," Zechs mentioned, seeing her open her mouth to ask him. "And we have three guards inside with him, as well as six outside. He's not skilled enough to escape from there, trust me."

"I hope so," she commented. "He's a skilled assassin, and I'd be more concerned about his teammates coming to break him out rather than him breaking himself out."

"We'll post extra guards then," Zechs nodded, and peered at her. "Did you manage to learn anything else past your last report?"

"Um…my last post was right before the incidents, so I don't think so," she shook her head. "Do we know what caused the deaths? It appeared like some kind of gas poisoning."

"It was, but we're still investigating that," Treize said, looking a bit disgruntled. "It seems that the mafia was developing a prototype of some kind of gas, but it's almost impossible to discern what the purpose may have been."

"How could they have that level of technology to bypass our own system?" Kina wondered. "Someone in the government must be involved for us not to be able to correctly process the gas."

"Our thoughts exactly," Zechs agreed with a short nod. "We've tried investigating Maxwell, but he refuses to talk – unsurprisingly. Do you think you'd have any better luck?"

"Me?" she asked in surprise. After thinking for a moment, she shrugged. "Probably not, but it's worth a shot. I don't know how his mind works, but his aura is certainly open and cocky. He may let something slip through bragging – it doesn't seem out-of-character for him. Give me some time and I should be able to compile a personality profile on him, at the least."

"All right," Zechs smiled briefly as he rose and strode to the door. "I'll have it arranged. Treize, get Une whatever she needs to find Trowa – we need the information he may have as well. Have someone examine Kina before she prepares for the interrogation. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask," he added, glancing at his agent.

She nodded, and the two waited until their boss left until Treize sat back down. He had been captured and forcefully recruited into the institution from another organization as well, but didn't appear to have much to complain about, having risen through the ranks quickly.

"I'll do my best to find Trowa, so just concentrate on cracking Maxwell," Treize said, suddenly reassuring. "He seems to have a weakness for women – pretty ones especially, from what I've observed in his reaction to Une and Relina –"

"I can't say much for his taste then," Kina mumbled, having a great dislike for Relina Darlian.

"–so I'll send you up some clothes I think will be appropriate," Treize finished, and she looked up sharply.

"What's that supposed to mean – '_appropriate_'?" she demanded, but he merely smiled calmly at her.

"I'll send the doctor in when I leave," he said, and strode from the room without another word. Glaring at the door, Kina swung her feet back on the bed as the doctor returned, followed by a nurse carrying a chart.

* * *

"Une?" Trowa realized, and stopped trying to shake off the woman gripping his upper arm.

"If you had listened, you would have realized that sooner and saved us a lot of time," she hissed, pulling him further in to the alley, away from prying eyes. "Treize sent me to find you and bring you back to base. Kina is already there, and Maxwell is currently in our custody as well."

"I see," the young man regained his composure quickly and processed the new information in his head. _"So Kina is at the base, and so is Duo…" _"Is she safe?" he asked abruptly, and Une regarded him coolly.

"Of course," she said primly. "She had a rather nasty accident with toxic fumes, but she was recovering nicely at the time of my departure."

"How fast can we get back?" Trowa pressed, and she appeared taken aback momentarily before pausing in thought.

"A day, at the absolute most. We have transportation waiting, of course. Are you ready yet, or are you just going to stand there gaping like an idiot?"

* * *

"You want me to wear _this_?" Kina demanded, holding up the outfit in distaste. "This is…disgusting!"

"It's not _that_ bad," Noin commented dryly, earning a dirty look from Kina. "Well, it isn't. I convinced Zechs to send something a little better than what you were _supposed_ to wear, trust me."

"Maxwell better crack, or I'll bust his skull open for making me wear this," the other woman, quickly beginning to change into the new outfit her boss had sent down. The skirt and jacket were a dark navy-blue with matching heels – a barely opaque white blouse was paired with a skirt that went several inches above her knees, and the jacket was fitted so closely that she couldn't even button it up.

"At least it's better than before," Noin informed her, and Kina looked faintly green.

"I'm actually scared to know what the outfit was before this," she managed, and took a deep breath. "Do you have the files for me?"

"Yes," Noin nodded, and handed her the files. Although Kina was technically a subordinate, her unusual position forced higher-ranking officers defer to her often, as well as Trowa. "That's everything we could manage to find on him and the others as well."

"Good," Kina said absently, already skimming through the papers. "Give me a few minutes to go through this stuff to plan my attack. I'll buzz when I'm ready to go down."

"All right," Noin grinned, and shut the door behind her. Due to the high security surrounding Duo, only a select few were allowed clearance, and the only way Kina was able to get there was through Noin or Treize.

"Hmm…" Kina murmured, taking a closer look at several files she found. "He was arrested as a private for conduct unbecoming a soldier, but no mention of what happened. Dishonorable discharge…several hits in his juvenile records, nothing too major. It doesn't seem like he'd be a mercenary, and there's no mention of what his abilities are. Probably something like espionage." She chuckled wryly at the thought of Duo Maxwell being a spy, and abruptly shoved the files into the briefcase-like bag she had beside her. Reaching over she pressed a small button, and waited by the door until Noin reappeared.

"That didn't take too long," the woman commented, and Kina shrugged.

"I guess."

"Are you sure you have enough?" Noin pressed, and the young woman nodded.

"Positive. I was wondering, though," she added, as they headed into the security elevator used only by officials to access the secure zone.

"Yeah?"

"Why is there no mention of his abilities?" Kina asked. "And he was discharged from the military for conduct unbecoming, but there's nothing to indicate what that was."

"There's nothing about his abilities because we don't have anything on him about that," Noin told her, looking a bit disgruntled. "As for the records, the military won't give us any info, having sealed his record, and Boss won't let us hack into the database for it."

"Interesting," Kina said thoughtfully. "I'll have to bluff my way through some things, I guess."

"You'll do it," Noin assured her. "Oh, and Une picked up Trowa not too long ago. They're on their way back now, and he's in normal condition."

"Really?" the other female asked in surprise, and grinned when Noin nodded. "Good – that's even more leverage I have. Don't worry, I know when to say anything," she added, seeing Noin open her mouth to object. "I'm not going to give him information that'll help him, of all things."

"I didn't think you would," Noin agreed calmly, keeping an eye on the level they were at. "We're almost there – the security zone is fifteen kilometers underground, and this elevator is the only way up or down, besides a tunnel entryway in case of emergencies."

"I've never been down here," Kina commented. "Trowa and I were held elsewhere, I believe."

"So was I," Noin nodded, having been a military soldier working with Treize and Une before they were caught. "But I've been here once or twice – not a pleasant place, but even harder to get out than it is to get in, believe me. He's there. And alarm would've gone off if anything happened."

"I know," Kina told her. "I figured as much. " She stopped when the elevator abruptly shook to a halt, a flashing light indicating they had arrived at their destination.

"Here we are," Noin grinned, opening the door and stepping out into the tunnels.

* * *

There - a bit of a cliffhanger, but this is over eight pages long, so be happy! Please review. 


	4. IV

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Well, I haven't gotten many reviews - none for the last chapter - but I still want to keep writing this. Maybe someone will notice it...but I like it, and my writer's block is slowly going away. So, enjoy!

Please review if read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

Impressive was an overstatement of the tunnels' appearance – a small area split into two different directions, with dim lamps lighting the way down each of the earthen tunnels. Resembling something slightly better than mining tunnels, the one on the right was an open passageway, with several curves blocking her line of vision, while the other was sealed at the beginning with two double-thick steel doors.

"Appearances are deceiving, believe me," Noin assured her, seeing Kina's look of incredulity. "Maxwell's down this one," she continued, heading down the right passage. "I'm not sure what's behind the steel doors, but it's just a ruse if we ever get any intruders."

"Because of course they'll go toward the sealed stuff," Kina realized, nodding in approval. "Now I'm impressed. Are you sure they aren't going to fall on us, though?" she asked nervously, glancing up at the earth.

"Nope – the earth is a ruse as well. It covers three kilometers of steel and iron between us and the rest of the earth," Noin informed her. "This is actually a series of metal tubes in the ground, but it's more reinforced than almost anything else you'll ever find."

"I believe it," the other young woman agreed, sighing slightly in relief. "I can't stand underground, to be honest. I hope this won't take long."

"I wouldn't bet on it," Treize said, meeting them further down in the tunnel. Kina had noticed they had passed several doors as they walked, and looked around more closely as they continued the relatively-easy trek. "Maxwell isn't saying a word – not even blinking, in fact. I'm not sure we'll be able to get him to talk."

"Of course you won't," Kina said curtly. "But interrogation is my specialty – and I better be able to do it, or you can send me back to doing laundry."

"I'll take that as a promise," the man agreed calmly, before pausing before another door. "Here's where he is – we'll wait in another room to watch, so if you need anything, signal."

"I'll be sure to do that," Kina agreed, before stepping into the room. It was the usual interrogation setup, with a bare bulb illuminating the gray room, with Duo strapped to a chair beside a small table, another empty chair across from him. Treize and Noin quickly disappeared, locking the door behind her, and Duo looked up in surprise as she entered.

"So, here to let me go?" he grinned, but was ignored as she placed the files deliberately on the table before staring at him for a moment.

"That doesn't look like the most comfortable of chairs," she commented finally.

"Well, it's worse than most," he admitted, and blinked when she began to unstrap him. "Hey, you sure you can do that?"

"What do you care? I thought you were uncomfortable," she replied evenly, finishing setting him loose and sitting back in the chair. "I've got a lot of information about you, Maxwell, but there are some things I'm still curious about."

"I have a feeling you'll still be curious when you're finished," Duo told her with a grin, but the smile didn't meet his eyes, which seemed to penetrate her being. Kina took a second to compose herself before shrugging.

"Probably. But it's my job, or else it's back to prison," she said, having never actually been in prison before.

"What dya mean?" he asked, in spite of himself. She stared at him for a few seconds before allowing herself a small grin.

"I'm a government lab rat, I suppose you could call it," she informed him. "I have to do my job, or else it's bye-bye freedom."

"That certainly sounds like it sucks," Duo commented, and she nodded in agreement.

"Of course. But I'm wondering, if you don't like being told what to do, why were you in the military in the first place?" she asked suddenly, but the abrupt question didn't startle him in the least.

"Nice try – seemed like the thing to do at the time," he shrugged. "I wasn't it for very long anyway."

"No, you weren't – two years," she agreed, allowing herself to glance down as she opened the folder before her. "And then thrown out. But the military won't tell us – and I'll be frank, we're not allowed to hack into their computers," she said briskly. "Or else we'd know why."

"I'm sure you would," Duo agreed, and she felt his eyes resting uncomfortably on her.

"So, why'd you become a mercenary?" she asked conversationally, pushing the folder aside casually. "Really, I'd like to know. Your record doesn't seem to show any reason why you would."

"You don't have the whole record, remember?" he smirked, and she frowned a little.

"Point taken," she agreed easily. "You gonna tell me?"

"Nope."

"I didn't think so," she shrugged, crossing her arms and leaning back to stare at him again. "I have to stay here though – make it seem I'm making an effort."

"Yeah, I guess you do," Duo nodded, folding his arms behind his head and observing her. "If I can ask, what made _you_ become a mercenary?"

"Seemed like the thing to do," she told him, hiding her slight surprise he knew about her past, but not very startled.

"Any other questions?" he asked, and she shrugged.

"If I can think of any."

* * *

"Are you sure this is going to work, Boss?" Treize asked, as they observed the room by means of several hidden cameras. "He doesn't seem to care in the least."

"If Kina isn't able to crack him, we haven't lost anything anyway," Zechs said firmly. "So there's no point in not trying, agreed?"

"I guess," Treize agreed reluctantly. "But what's she doing?"

"Nothing," Noin replied. "Does she think he'll talk if she doesn't push him?"

"No," Zechs shook his head. "I'm not sure what she's up to, but she was right – she specializes in interrogation and personality profiling. That's why I'm letting her talk to him."

"Why, what do you think he'd do?" Noin asked.

"No what he'd do – what she might do," their boss corrected. "And I'm not sure. Just like I'm never sure what you two might do."

"Touché," Treize grinned, returning his attention to the screens.

* * *

"We're going nowhere fast," Kina said, breaking the silence of almost an hour and a half. "I might as get going," she continued, beginning to stand up and gather her things.

"Hey, do ya have to leave so soon?" Duo asked suddenly, and she looked at him in genuine surprise. "I mean…well, it's damn boring in here," he shrugged. "Might as well have some company."

"I have better things to do," she informed him, but paused as he got to his feet.

"Well…I guess I could tell you some stuff. Can't see how it'd hurt," he said finally, and she slowly sat back down as he watched her.

"Go on, then," she prodded, and he resumed his own seat with a yawn.

"Sorry," he apologized, before smirking. "Well, as for the military – I was out on a mission and we caught some prisoners on the way back. Bunch of slimy bastards, really – fanatics fighting for some god of theirs, murdering whoever they felt like."

"You don't believe in a god?" Kina asked, and he peered at her, apparently serious.

"Do you?" he replied, and continued without waiting for an answer. "I'm the God of Death – so I believe in me," he said, appearing to brood for a moment before shrugging. "Anyway, they really pissed me off. You know the military can't 'abuse' prisoners or any crap like that, so I had to listen to them spout their shit for hours. Finally, I just snapped and bashed their damn heads in. Not that they didn't deserve it, but the military decided they couldn't have bad press image."

"That's why?"

"Yep," he nodded. "That's when I realized I might as well do whatever the hell I felt like, since my ideas of right and wrong don't fit with anybody in this damn world. That's why I decided to become a mercenary – I was a sniper in the military, which comes in handy every once in a while."

"But…" Kina waited, trying to squeeze as much information as she could out of him.

"That's so cowardly," he told her. "And besides, if I'm the deliverer of death, might as well let 'em see who's blowing their brains out, right? Up close and personal, that's more my style. And I'm damn good at it, if I'm allowed to brag."

"Why not," Kina shrugged.

"You don't seem impressed," he said, and she merely looked at him.

"Should I be? If it's the truth, it makes a whole lot of sense. And if it's a lie, there's no reason to be impressed," she pointed out. "And I've heard plenty of stories of before – there're worse people out there, trust me."

"Oh, I know that," he nodded. "I like to think I'm one of them, but I guess I'm not."

"Try harder," she commented, and he smirked.

"Maybe I will."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kina asked, peering at him with narrowed eyes. Something was going wrong, she could sense it, but she realized she wasn't going to be able to find out quick enough. Getting to her feet, she managed to take a few steps toward the door as she backed up before Duo shot out of his seat and grabbed her by the collar, pulling her back against him and his elbow beneath her chin.

* * *

"Damn it!" Noin swore, turning to Zechs.

"Two men have infiltrated the base and are making their way through the tunnels, sir," Treize informed him coolly. "They're heading straight toward Maxwell."

"Now what?" Noin demanded.

"Sound the alarm – get the guards ready. Tell them to shoot to kill," he ordered calmly.

* * *

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Kina demanded, having briefly tried to struggle and received a squeeze cutting off her air in return. "You can't get out on your own!"

"I'm not – we all have a tracking device surgically implanted," Duo informed her with a grin. "And they're on their way – can't you hear the alarms? Any second now they'll come through that door. And you're gonna be our hostage."

"Like hell!" she retorted, twisting his arm and going to knee him in the groin. To her surprise, he evaded her attack quite easily and held her at arm's length for a moment before shrugging.

"Sorry – you're too feisty to take like this," he apologized, and she gasped right before he knocked her out cold. In the next moment, Heero and Quatre burst into the room, weapons ready to fire. "Hey, you're late," Duo complained, hefting Kina to his shoulder and taking the offered weapon with the other hand.

"And what do you think you're doing?" Heero demanded.

"Hostage – trust me, she'll be useful," Duo nodded, and Quatre checked his handheld computer.

"We don't have much time before it blows," he said, referring to the several bombs he and Heero had planted on their way down.

"All right – we have a jet waiting," Heero said, glancing over his shoulder as they raced down the tunnel. "It was a bitch to get here, you know. And hacking was even worse – but at least we found another exit."

"Nice," the assassin nodded in appreciation, briefly glancing around with a frown as they made their way out of the tunnel system. "Where's Wufei?"

"Dead," Heero replied flatly. "Her partner killed him before he escaped."

"Damn," Duo muttered, honestly not caring too much but feeling he should show something at his companion's death.

"We're almost there," Quatre commented, checking his timer. "Just a few more minutes."

"That'll be enough," Heero nodded, increasing his speed. The two others easily kept pace, despite Duo's burden, and reached a trapdoor to the surface within moments. "This is it – the other exit we found," the leader said shortly, climbing the ladder. "Our jet's right outside."

"Good – she's heavier than I thought," Duo grunted, following the other two up and out, climbing onto grass and feeling the wind in his face. Quatre was already sprinting toward the jet, while Heero held several more charges in his fist.

"Move," he ordered, and waited until Duo was away before planting the devices and beginning to run. "Get to the jet – now!" he shouted, and Duo quickly followed his lead. Duo tossed Kina onto the floor before hauling himself inside, since Quatre was already lifting off. Heero made an insane leap for the jet, and grabbed onto the side, hanging for a moment before pulling himself in.

"Here comes backup," Duo commented, glancing out and seeing a strange-looking plane heading their way, not knowing it was Une and Trowa, as well as their pilot.

"Let's go, Quatre," Heero said testily, gripping his weapon. "Get ready to shoot, Duo."

"They're landing?" the braided young man realized in confusion, watching it lower to the ground. "What the hell?"

"Hold on!" Quatre warned them, before activating the thrusters and shooting away faster than most planes were able to.

* * *

"What the hell was that?" Trowa demanded, jumping out after Une and meeting Treize halfway to the base.

"It seems Maxwell's companions are more resourceful than I thought," the man said dryly, blinking as the plane shot away. "They staged a rescue, and took Kina hostage with them."

"_What_?" Trowa shouted, clenching his hand into a fist. "We just missed them? Goddamn it!"

"Calm down – Duo mentioned something about a tracking device inside each of them," Noin informed him smoothly. "With luck, we can trace any radar that was coming from the cell and locate its base of location."

"And what if we can't?" the riled young man prodded testily.

"Do you think we have no resources of our own?" Treize asked dryly. "You and Kina are able to sense each other – to an extent, of course, which will be useful. And she has her own locater with her."

"They'll find it," Trowa growled, and then blinked uncertainly when Treize began to laugh.

"Not where it is, trust me."

* * *

Here's hoping someone reviews! (toasts) Please review.


End file.
